What Hope Brings
by SongOfTheStars
Summary: The gift of a daughter granted to Landon and Jamie shortly before her passing runs into a small tragedy some years after her mother's death, and is now experiencing dreams of her mother that could help Landon understand the Lord's plan once more.
1. New Hope in Life

*** DISCLAIMER *** Yeah, these things are annoying, I know, but I feel like it's my responsibility to say that I own nothing, that's Warner Bros. and Nicholas Sparks only. This is my first fic, so please be nice, read and review to tell me what you think. That's all. :)  
  
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Chapter ONE ***********  
  
It was Monday morning, 7:30 A.M., picture day. Five-year-old Hope Carter sat on the pink rose-print comforter on her bed, as her grandmother, Cynthia Carter, sat behind her on a chair, carefully and skillfully curling her caramel-auburn hair. As each warm, soft lock was released from the hot iron, it bounced down around Hope's face and she smiled, reaching up to feel it. Having curled hair always made her feel special, like a princess.  
  
"Try to hold still, okay, sweetheart?" her grandmother asked calmly. Hope sat up straight and tried to fulfill Cynthia's wish the best she could. "Okay, Grandma," she responded. "That's a good girl," her grandma said, smiling as she wound the last lock of hair carefully around the iron.  
  
"Hey, Hope!" came a voice from the hall. Footsteps drew nearer, and soon Hope's father stood in the doorway. "Hey, Princess," Landon Carter said with a warm smile, eyes on his daughter. "How's it coming?"  
  
"Hi, Daddy," Hope responded. She gave a wide grin and held up a curled tendril of hair. "Grandma's doing my hair pretty. See? Do you like it?"  
  
Cynthia smiled at her 24-year-old son as she released the last bit of hair from the iron. "There," she said. "All done. Just let me go and get some hairspray really quick, and I'll be back in a minute." With that, she unplugged the curling iron, set it on the dresser, and hurried out of the room, patting Landon on the shoulder affectionately on the way. He smiled at her, and then turned back to his daughter once she'd left.  
  
"I love your hair, Hope," he told her. Walking over next to her, he sat down on the bed and hugged her. "So, are you hungry?" he asked. "I can make your favorite thing for breakfast-scrambled eggs with cheese." He grinned.  
  
Hope's hazel eyes lit up. "Okay!" she said. She smiled at her dad, and Landon returned the smile. Just then, Cynthia came back into the room with a bottle of hairspray. "All right, sweetie, let's spray your hair with this so it stays nice and curly all day." Stepping up behind her granddaughter, she sprayed a light mist all over her curls, then waved some of the excess spray away from her face. "There we go," she said. "Come take a look."  
  
Landon watched his grinning daughter hop off the bed and hurry over to the round mirror atop her dresser. When she saw her curls, her smile grew even bigger. "It looks so pretty," she said, reaching up to feel them. She turned around and smiled up at her grandmother, then hugged her. "Thank you, Grandma," she said. Cynthia laughed, patted her back gently, and replied, "You're welcome, honey.''  
  
Landon watched his daughter hugging his mother, and he couldn't help but get maybe just a little teary-eyed. His daughter was always so nice and generous, and grateful for everything. Just like her mother had been. Jamie. Hope reminded him so much of his wife-the expressions she got on her face sometimes, the things she said, her overall personality. He knew exactly why God had sent them a child; Jamie lived on in their daughter even though she had passed on years ago, when Hope was only six months old. So he had never truly lost her, now that he had a constant reminder of her with him always.  
  
Then his thoughts shifted to his mother. He was so thankful for her. Now that Landon was in medical school, she was always at the house to help care for Hope, since he was busy a lot. She was like their nanny. She adored the little girl, and Hope adored her.  
  
"Daddy, can I have breakfast now?" Hope asked politely, breaking into Landon's thoughts. He grinned, picked her up, kissed her on the cheek and replied, "Of course, sweetie." The three of them then headed downstairs together.  
  
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"All right, Hope, I'd better get you off to school now," Landon said, glancing at his watch as he picked up her now empty breakfast plate off the table. He placed it in the sink, then went over and pulled out Hope's chair, which she hopped off of.  
  
"Wait, Daddy," she said, looking up at him. "I haven't brushed my smile yet!"  
  
Landon grinned. "Oh, that's right," he said. "Well, Grandma will help you with that. Hurry up!"  
  
Hope nodded and scurried out of the room, calling for Cynthia to help her. The two of them joined hands as they headed off to the bathroom.  
  
Landon shoved his hands in his jeans pockets as he watched them disappear. He looked around the somewhat small kitchen, and then the living room, which was connected to it. The first thing his eyes landed on was his and Jamie's wedding portrait, which sat on the mantle. He stood as if in a daze for a few seconds, just staring at it. Then, slowly, he made his way over to it.  
  
As he came closer, he remembered the day more and more, and all that had happened after it. Their summer together, that perfect summer; then the fall, which he had dreaded, knowing that Jamie's time was running short; yet, when November rolled around and Jamie seemed fine other than feeling more tired than usual, they began to suspect that maybe her leukemia wasn't taking its toll on her just yet. A visit to the doctor confirmed that she had at least a year more, and although being told that she was in remission would have been much more wonderful, they were both overjoyed that they could enjoy even that amount of time in each other's company yet. But after some more tests were run, the doctor had more news for them-they had a baby on the way.  
  
Needles to say, aside from surprising them in a big way, this made both of them nervous; after all, despite the fact that Jamie had another year or so to live, she still had leukemia, and they didn't know how this baby would affect her, and how the sickness would affect the baby. Their doctor reassured them that Jamie would be taken extra special care of during these nine months and not to worry, but neither one of them could help it. Everything went okay as it turned out, even though Jamie had many dizzy spells and was tired a lot, but when month seven was upon them, something broke that streak.  
  
Jamie woke up that morning and immediately had a bad dizzy spell, almost fainting. She said she would be fine, despite Landon's nagging for her to lie down and rest while he ran to the store to pick up some things for breakfast. He was gone for about half an hour, and when he returned, the house was completely silent. Thinking that Jamie might have lay down to take a much-needed nap, he went upstairs to check. She wasn't in their bed, but to his shock, he found her lying unconscious on the bathroom floor. He could feel a pulse, but it seemed light. Panicking, he called the hospital, and the paramedics came to take her away. Landon held her limp hand all the way to the hospital in the back of the ambulance, pleading with her to wake up. Once he thought he felt her give his hand a light squeeze, but he couldn't be sure-he just kept hoping. Once they got there, Jamie was rushed into the emergency room while Landon had to wait out in the hallway. That was miserable. Tears stinging in his eyes, he paced around, rubbing his hands together and running them through his hair constantly. Please, let her be okay, he begged silently.  
  
What seemed like an eternity later, one of the many doctors in the room came out and told Landon that they were doing an emergency C-section. He just bit his lip and stared at the floor and the walls, avoiding looking at the doctor. "Is she okay?" he asked, unable to control his shaking voice. "She's still unconscious, but there's a pulse," the doctor informed him. Then he hurried back in and a nurse came out and touched Landon's arm gently, speaking calmly to him-something about not to worry, they were taking good care of his wife; he barely heard any of it, as then they wheeled Jamie out of the room on the gurney. She lay there still, hooked up to an IV cart as they pushed her down the hallway. He wanted so badly to run up next to her, to touch her face and hold her hand. The nurse guided him to a small waiting room and continued talking gently to him. "She'll be fine," she assured him again.  
  
The nurse soon left him alone, and he paced around the room wildly once more. He couldn't stand this. Mainly, absolutely nothing else was on his mind besides Jamie, and how much he wanted her to be okay. He thought about the baby, too-what would happen with that? Would the baby be okay? He prayed for both of them, but otherwise, paced around and worried. After about 30 minutes or so, a doctor came out. "Mr. Carter?" he said as he spotted him.  
  
Landon walked up to him. "Is Jamie okay?" he asked anxiously. "What happened?"  
  
The doctor smiled. "Your wife is fine," he replied. "She's still asleep, but she's okay."  
  
"Oh, thank God," Landon said, sighing and placing a hand atop his head.  
  
"And," the doctor added, "you have a baby daughter." He smiled broadly.  
  
Landon drew in a breath and smiled. "Oh.wow," he said. "This is.this is so great." Not knowing what else to do, he engulfed the doctor in a huge hug. He felt almost ready to cry. The man laughed and patted him on the back. "Congratulations, son," he said.  
  
"Can I see her?" Landon asked next. "Them?"  
  
The doctor nodded. "Yes," he said. "You can see your daughter first, and in just a little while, you can see your wife. She'll be in recovery soon."  
  
Landon nodded and followed the doctor to the nursery, his heart pounding in his chest. When they arrived, the doctor pointed through the glass window. "There she is," he said. Lying in a plastic bed was a tiny girl, covered in a soft pink blanket. Landon's breath caught in his chest; this child was his. He could hardly believe it.  
  
"Do you want to go in and see her?" the doctor asked. Landon couldn't speak, but from the look on his face, the doctor knew that was a "yes." He led him in, and a nurse came over and gently lifted the tiny little girl from her bed. "Do you want to hold her?" she asked, smiling. Landon just stared. What if I drop her? That was his first thought. But he must have nodded yes, because in the next moment the nurse was placing the baby in his arms. She was pretty light, and so small, but she was beautiful. She had Jamie's eyes.  
  
Landon just stood there, rocking his daughter back and forth and staring down at her in awe. He didn't know how long he did this, but he did know that it must have been at least an hour that he spent there with her. Finally, the doctor came back and tapped him on the shoulder. "Landon, if you'd like, you can go visit your wife now," he said gently.  
  
Landon turned back to the nurse, who smiled and gently took the baby, placing her back in her plastic bed. "We'll take the little one in too," she said, smiling.  
  
Landon nodded and eagerly followed the doctor out of the room and down the hall to Jamie's room. All he wanted right now was to hold her hand and kiss her. When they arrived in the room, she lay in the bed asleep, but when Landon stepped up next to her bed, she stirred. "Hey, baby," he whispered, leaning down to plant a kiss on her forehead.  
  
"Mmm.Landon?"  
  
"I'm here, sweetheart. And the baby is here, too. Our daughter." Now the nurse and doctor had left, leaving them to spend some time alone-as a family.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Landon asked her. Jamie raised her warm hazel eyes to him and smiled-it never ceased to amaze him that no matter what was going on, Jamie always had this stunning smile that lit her up entirely. "I feel okay," she said softly. "Just a little tired, but nothing out of the ordinary, I suppose." Landon smiled down at her, reached down and gently brushed her bangs away from her forehead. "I love you," he said softly. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the bed, the smile still lingering on her face.  
  
"The baby." After a few seconds, Jamie opened her eyes and looked up at Landon, drawing in a tired breath. "The baby. Let me see her."  
  
Landon smiled. "Of course." He walked over to their little girl and wheeled her over to Jamie's bedside. 


	2. Memories of Yesterday

CHAPTER TWO  
As soon as Jamie's eyes landed on their baby, they filled with adoration and love. "She's so beautiful," she said quietly, tears forming in her eyes. Landon pulled a chair up next to the bed and sat down, kissing Jamie again. "She is," he agreed. "Just like you."  
  
The two of them had then begun thinking up names-since this baby had come early, they hadn't had much time to before. They considered Elizabeth, Cynthia, Alicia, and even Carolina, after the place where she was born. Then, out of the blue, Jamie had begun humming "Only Hope," looking at Landon lovingly as she thought. It hit them both suddenly and they knew it was the one. Their baby became Hope Elizabeth Carter, and they both agreed it was the most perfect name they could have come up with. (Landon had wanted Hope Jamie-but Jamie had insisted it didn't sound right. Elizabeth was the only other thing they could think of as a way to somehow bring Jamie's name into their daughter's name.)  
  
Five days later, Jamie was released from the hospital-actually, it was more like they both were released, since Landon had been spending about 22 out of 24 hours each day there with her and Hope. Even though Jamie was tired, she thought it would be great to have all of their friends and relatives over for a little baby shower or "Welcome Baby" party, so they did. Everyone brought gifts, and they ate cake and caught up with each other. It was great. And life was great, for the next five months, until Jamie's condition worsened. Landon knew her time was running short, and he couldn't bear the thought. He was angry with God, especially since He'd just sent them this perfect little baby and now He was taking Jamie away, so she couldn't be there with her daughter anymore. He knew, from what Jamie always talked about, that it was just part of His plan, but he simply couldn't see any good in it.  
  
Landon spent every single moment of Jamie's last day with her. They played with the baby, cuddled together, lovingly reminisced about their short past; Landon would not leave her side. At about seven o'clock that evening, as they lay together in the bed, Jamie, mustering up all the strength she could, hugged him, and began to cry. "Landon, I'm sorry," she said, tears streaming down her cheeks.  
  
"Sorry? Sorry for what, baby?" Landon asked, looking down at her. He lifted her chin so her teary eyes looked into his.  
  
Her face crumpled again, and she grabbed his shirt, crying into it. "I don't want to leave you, Landon," she choked. "I don't want to leave you and Hope."  
  
Landon began to choke up himself; his wife, whom had been so strong about this before, was breaking down. How could he possibly survive this if even she was acting this way?  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry," she sniffed, wiping her eyes. "I shouldn't be acting this way.I should be strong."  
  
"No, no, baby," Landon said, almost in a whisper so she wouldn't hear his voice shaking. "Don't worry about it. Just cry if you need to."  
  
They embraced, Jamie crying into his shirt, and he realized that he couldn't hold back. He let the tears flow, and after a little while, Jamie stopped crying, wiped her tears away, and gently wiped his away too.  
  
She looked up at him, her red, puffy eyes sincere. "Landon," she said weakly, "I need you to be strong. You have to take care of Hope and go on with life. I don't want you to be a wreck when I'm gone. Okay?"  
  
When I'm gone. Landon still didn't want to believe those words. "Okay," he said, sincerely as possible, fighting not to cry.  
  
"Please, Landon," Jamie said, her voice dropping to almost a whisper. "You have to let the Lord be in control. Even though this may seem unfair, He does everything for a reason. It's all in His plan. Please understand, Landon.even if I'm not here physically, I swear to you that I'll always and forever be with you, and Hope, mentally, in your hearts, watching over you."  
  
Landon couldn't stand it. His vision became blurry with unshed tears, but he quickly wiped them away, not wanting to miss a second of seeing Jamie.  
  
"Landon Rollins Carter.I love you."  
  
Landon looked down at her. She looked so peaceful. He bit his lip, and responded, "Jamie Elizabeth Carter, I love you too.more than you'll ever know."  
  
He held her tight, and they stayed that way for a long time, all the while Landon wishing that he could just freeze time right then and there and stay in that moment forever. But he knew it wouldn't last forever as Jamie's breathing became slower and shallower.  
  
But with those last breaths, she mustered up enough energy to softly, just above a whisper, begin to sing: "There's a song that's inside of my soul.it's the one that I've tried.to write over and over again."  
  
Landon listened as she sang on, amazed that she made it to the end of the song. Her voice was now just on the very edge of a whisper, and raspy and shallow. He held her tight, kissed her head, and said, "I love you, Jamie." Obviously too tired to say another word, she lightly squeezed his hand.  
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Snapping back to reality, he realized that his eyes had grown misty with tears, which he quickly wiped away. The last time he ever held Jamie in his arms was on that tragic day...he wanted to remember her, but hated to remember that. Looking at the wedding portrait, he kissed his finger, then touched it gently to Jamie's angelic, smiling face. 


	3. Questions, Answers and a Sweet Goodnight

"So, Hope, did you smile nice and big?"  
  
"Yup!"  
  
"Is Daddy going to have a really pretty picture to hang up?"  
  
"Yup!" Hope giggled, smiling broadly at her father. Landon smiled back. The two of them sat in the kitchen as Hope ate a bowl of macaroni and cheese for dinner.  
  
"That's good," Landon said, reaching over and ruffling her hair gently. "But no matter how you looked, I still think it'll be the prettiest picture of them all."  
  
Hope smiled and put her spoon down in her near-empty bowl. "As pretty as Mommy?" she asked.  
  
Landon stopped short and looked at his daughter. She had just brought up Jamie. Landon had definitely told her about her mother-she deserved to know. And he knew Hope was curious about Jamie. but whenever she just started talking about her like that, it surprised him.  
  
He looked down at his lap. "Yes," he said softly. "Yes.as pretty as Mommy."  
  
A lump formed in his throat as his eyes wandered to the wedding portrait over on the mantle. Hope never really looked at that picture, maybe since it was pretty high up for her just now. He had showed her Jamie's picture in the Beaufort High School yearbook, but he knew there were better pictures to show her. He looked over at his daughter, who had gotten back to eating her macaroni and cheese contently.  
  
"Hope, let me show you something."  
  
She looked up and nodded. "Okay." She put down her spoon, and Landon went over and scooped her up. He carried her into the living room, over to the mantle, and pointed to the wedding picture. "Take that," he said. Hope picked it up with one small hand, her hazel eyes falling on the young and happy couple in it. Landon sat down in the armchair with her on his lap. "Who's that?" he asked her.  
  
She examined the picture. "You," she said softly, "and Mommy."  
  
"Yes," Landon responded. "That was the day we got married. We were both so happy that day." He smiled thoughtfully.  
  
"Mommy looks really happy," Hope commented, staring at Jamie's face. "She looks really pretty too."  
  
"Yes, she does," Landon told his daughter. "She looks like you. She was very beautiful."  
  
Hope was silent for a moment as she seemed to examine every detail of the photo. Then she said softly, "Daddy, why did Mommy have to leave?"  
  
Landon bit his lip. He had explained this to her before, and it pained him every time. But, being strong, he began again. "Princess, your mommy was very sick...remember?"  
  
"Oh, yeah. You told me. She had ca...what was it? I forgot." Landon couldn't help but chuckle at his daughter as he pulled her closer, planting a kiss on her soft hair. "It was, um...called cancer, sweetheart," he said softly.  
  
"Oh." Hope sighed. "Cancer." She stared, mesmerized by the photograph for a while, while Landon gently stroked her hair and tried to hold back his tears.  
  
He was thankful when Hope announced she was tired. "Can you tuck me in?"  
  
"Of course, honey."  
  
After getting her ready for bed and tucking her in, Landon read a Cinderella book to Hope, stroking her hair gently until she fell asleep. As he did every night, he kissed her forehead gently, thanked God for another day with her, asked Him to watch over her while she slept, and left the room, turning out the light on his way. As he walked back downstairs, he looked up and said to Jamie, "Thank you for that little girl...I love you."  
  
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Sorry this chapter was pretty boring.I *swear* it will get better! I have it all planned, lol. So what do you think so far? Good? So-so?. Bad? *Cringe* Hehe... reviews are appreciated!! 


	4. Now That's A Miracle

***Author's Note*** Ok, I had a brain fizzle in the disclaimer when I said I own nothing...I do, I own Hope! ::whacks head:: Wake up... okay then, happing reading & reviewing! =D  
  
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"Sing to me the song of the stars...of your galaxy dancing and laughing and laughing again...when it feels like my dreams are so far...sing to me of the plans..."  
  
There she was in all her beauty, sitting in front of him, absolutely glowing...voice like an angel...suddenly a loud buzzing sound broke over her voice.  
  
"...that you have..."  
  
More buzzing...  
  
What is that?! Landon thought angrily. He looked out towards the audience, but could see nothing...he looked back at Jamie, and she was...gone...faded away...  
  
And in her place was a nightstand.  
  
On top of the nightstand, an alarm clock was buzzing obnoxiously. It was 6:15 A.M. Landon was awake...it was a dream. Again.  
  
"Oh, Lord," he muttered to himself, shutting off the alarm. Rolling onto his back, he rubbed his eyes and then threw down the covers, sat up, and got out of bed, then got his slippers on.  
  
It was a little chilly, so he got his North Carolina Tarheels (I'm not a big sports watcher, so I hope I'm right with the name, lol) sweatshirt and pulled it on over his gray T-shirt that he wore with his green flannel pants. He got his reading glasses from the nightstand and started downstairs.  
  
Every morning he got up early to make coffee, read the paper and then shower before getting Hope up and ready for school. If he needed his mother's assistance, of course, he would call her. He started brewing some coffee and got the paper from the porch - thank goodness they had an overhanging part of the roof above it so it wouldn't be soaked and soppy. He brought it inside, read weather news for the next week, got himself a cup of coffee and read a little more before going to take a shower.  
  
When he was finished, he got dressed in a nicely pressed blue button-up shirt and jeans. It was about 7:00 now, so he went into Hope's bedroom to wake her up.  
  
"Rise and shine, Princess."  
  
Hope rolled over and opened her eyes. "Mmm," she muttered, sounding exactly like Jamie when she did it. "'Kay."  
  
Landon leaned down and kissed her on the head. "Sleep well?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Dream well?"  
  
"Yeah." She sat up now, a smile replicating her mother's blossoming on her face. "Guess what I dreamed about?"  
  
Landon sat down on her bedside and took her hand in his. "What?" he asked, the same way he'd said it in reply to Jamie's "You know what I figured out today?" that day in the hospital room.  
  
"You, me, and Mommy."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah. And guess what else? Mommy wasn't even sick. I asked her why she wasn't sick and she said, 'God doesn't want me to be sick.'" She paused, almost thoughtfully, as Landon looked down at the rose print on her comforter, a sad smile on his face.  
  
"I wish I could be in heaven with her sometimes."  
  
Landon looked up, slightly alarmed, but keeping control of his emotions. "Well, sweetheart... I like you right here with me. And I think Mommy does too. She wants you to grow up and become a big, strong girl and do whatever you want to do...be a teacher or a doctor or a dancer or whatever else. Okay?" He ran his thumb affectionately across her cheek, and she smiled at him. "Okay," she said softly.  
  
Landon looked into her eyes with a smile on his face. Gosh, you look like her, he thought.  
  
"Well...let's get up and get ready now, okay?"  
  
"Okay." Hope hopped out of bed and stretched. Landon ran a quick bath for her, and when she was finished, he dried her off, got her dressed in a pink Old Navy T-shirt and a jean skort (and no I did not misspell it, lol...skort as in skirt/shorts...ya know?) hair and brushed it out nicely. By her kind and patient instructions of how she wanted it, he brushed back two sections of hair on her head and clipped them with small pink heart clips. "There," he proclaimed. "You look beautiful."  
  
After a breakfast of Cheerios and orange juice, Hope brushed her teeth while Landon stood in the doorway and watched her with a smile. Then she got her bookbag and Landon took her out to the SUV to drive her to school, Beaufort Elementary, where she was in kindergarten. When he dropped her off, he gave her a kiss and said "I love you," something he was sure to do every day whenever he had the chance. "I love you, too, Daddy," she said as she climbed out. She waved goodbye and then hurried up the sidewalk to the schoolyard. As Landon watched her go, he smiled to himself. Someone so much like Jamie whom I can see every day and love just as much... now that's a miracle. The things God gives us...  
  
As he pulled away, what he did not consider was what God sometimes did also - threw in curveballs to present obstacles in life. He just didn't think about something like that happening to him.  
  
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TBC! I guess you could call this somewhat of a cliffhanger! So, what are you thinkin' of it? Love? Hate? In between? Let me know!! Sorry if this chapter seemed to drag on, but just be patient! 


	5. Don't Take The Girl

***Author's Note*** Just needed to say, from now on, whatever I need to say will be inside (()) instead of just ( ) because it's hard to tell something that's part of the actual story that's inside parentheses from my thoughts inside parentheses, so single parentheses are the story's, double are mine. Get it?? LoL. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
At nine o'clock that morning Landon left for school. He had a test coming up so a lot of studying lay ahead of him. It was kind of funny sometimes, realizing that at 24 years old here he was having recently begun medical school with many other young people not having started their lives yet, while he was widowed (as painful as it was to think about) and the father of a five-year-old daughter. Still, he couldn't have been more in love with his amazing daughter and more happy because of the fact that Jamie had ever come into his life and he'd gotten the chance to love such a wonderful person, so he rarely thought about this.  
  
As they reviewed material having to do with the upcoming tests ((Please note that I am a middle school student, far from college, and therefore I do not have a very good idea of the sort of things they actually do in medical school...so bear with me!)), Landon worked hard at it to cram it all in. Thank God for mothers who live nearby and are in a good position to help out, he thought to himself, since being the father of a young girl didn't make it easy when trying to study this stuff at home.  
  
What are you complaining about? he asked himself. Hope is like Jamie's little clone, the most wonderful daughter anyone could ask for. Besides, it just comes with the package of fatherhood, watching out for her. Still... what the hell would I do without my mother sometimes?  
  
Landon shook his head and chuckled at his own mixed thoughts.  
  
He checked his watch. It was 10:48 a.m. Morning session would be over before too long. ((Like I said...I don't know how med school works...that's the last time I'll say it, sorry...hehe)) A few more minutes passed by when there was a knock on the door of the classroom. Some people ignored it, others looked up as the teacher, Mr. Pierce, got up to answer it. A tall man with sandy blonde hair, blue eyes and a crisp suit walked in and spoke to him briefly - it was the Dean. Landon didn't pay too much attention, but instead focused on his materials, trying to take it all in. He needed the study time.  
  
Landon was sitting near the front of the room and could hear them speaking softly. Mr. Pierce nodded. "Yes, sir, thank you," he said. The Dean began to leave the room as Mr. Pierce spoke.  
  
"Mr. Landon Carter?"  
  
Landon looked up, a little startled at first, but not enough for everyone else to notice. "Yes, sir?"  
  
"You're dismissed from class." He waved him up to his desk. Landon, puzzled, began to gather his things, slide them into his bag and then approach the desk.  
  
"What for, sir?"  
  
Mr. Pierce began to speak in a lower voice as the majority of the class resumed their studies. "The Dean informed me that it's urgent. Your mother is here. In the Dean's office."  
  
Urgent?  
  
"Oh," he said, mind suddenly swirling with possibilities. "Uh, thank you, sir."  
  
As Landon hurried down the corridors and towards the Dean's office, his mind raced and he gradually increased his pace. Once he'd reached it, he saw his mother almost immediately. She looked shaken and afraid. His heart pounded. "Mom," he said, walking up to her. "What's going on?"  
  
"Honey..." She hugged him. This couldn't be good. What was happening? He just wanted to know!  
  
Finally she pulled away. Landon was alarmed to see tears in her eyes. "There's been...an accident."  
  
((Note: I was going to cut it off right here and leave you guys with a cliffhanger, but I figured as long as I was writing the chapter right then, why start a whole new one? So you should be thankful! ^_^))  
  
Landon's mouth went dry. "An accident? Mom -"  
  
"Just come on - we're going. I'll tell you in the car."  
  
"But, Mom, I have my car here. Can't you just tell me now??"  
  
Cynthia sighed and looked up at her son. "Honey...it's...it's Hope."  
  
His eyes widened. No, he thought.  
  
"What...? What did she...?" He couldn't get the words out. First Jamie was taken away...now...? He couldn't help but think the unthinkable.  
  
"At school...just...just get in your car and follow me there..."  
  
They were off. Landon broke into a run as he started for his car. School shooting was the first thing that popped into his mind. Perhaps an older kid had gotten a hold of a parent's gun and brought it to school? It was terrifying. He didn't want to think. He just had to get there...fast as hell.  
  
He didn't care if he exceeded the speed limit a little as he drove. He just barely ran a red light on his way to Beaufort Elementary. Once he got there and pulled up in front of the building, he was relieved to not see zillions of cop cars and ambulances and "Caution" tape all around. Instead, there was a single ambulance parked near the schoolyard playground. Holy shit, Landon thought, mind a blur. He climbed out of the SUV and sprinted over to the playground, where a group of kids, teachers and a few EMTs surrounded the tall slide.  
  
Cynthia followed him. A teacher and an EMT immediately approached Landon. "Where is she?" he said, voice shaking. The EMT, a red-headed woman in her early thirties, spoke calmly. "We're taking care of her. We'll be taking her to the hospital shortly, as long as we can make sure she's...she's breathing."  
  
Make sure she's breathing?!? Landon's mind screamed.  
  
"I want to see her," he said urgently. Mrs. Carter placed a shaking hand on her son's shoulder, wiping her eyes with her hand.  
  
"It's all right, Mr. Carter...you'll be able to go with her," the woman informed him. "We're just trying to...get a response from her. She fell from the slide, near the top... she might have a concussion."  
  
Landon pushed through the crowd and knelt down by his daughter's side. Tears blurred his vision as he saw her laying pale, unmoving and limp. An EMT felt her wrist for a pulse as he leaned down over her mouth to see if he could hear or feel her breath.  
  
"Please, baby, be okay," he said, lifting a limp, cold hand and squeezing it tight. He leaned down over her and begged the Lord silently to have mercy on him... Don't take her away, too...  
  
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TBC  
  
What now?? Like it so far? Gimme your thoughts, and thanks for the good review I got from hopelessromantic88, your good reviews are what encourage me! Not-as-good ones tell me what I need to improve, but let's still hope I don't get as many of those, lol. ;) 


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